Tetley Building to be revived as local brewery takes over the lease
The site will re-open in May, and is hoped to be a showcase of the very best of local brewing
The former headquarters of Tetley’s brewery in Leeds which most recently has been a contemporary art gallery’s got a new lease of life.
Kirkstall Brewery say they’re taking on the lease of the site - adding they’ve now got plans to make it a hub for great beer in the city, and renew the site as a 'landmark of Yorkshire beer culture'.
Bosses have called them the ‘ideal custodian’ for the building’s next chapter - hailing it as ‘the most iconic brewery building’ in Leeds.
It was built back in 1931, with Tetley's growing to eventually become the largest cask ale producer in the world.
This boom time didn't last at the site, though, with the site closing more than a decade ago, back in 2011.
Despite the demise of the site, it has remained a stalwart icon in West Yorkshire beer history.
The building, which is located at Aire Park, now forms a major part of the city's newest mixed-use district.
It was transformed into a contemporary art gallery for a decade, but closed back in 2023 when the site's lease came to an end - something its new lease owners have now taken over.
The site will be hosting a selection of beers from other breweries in the area, alongside brands from Kirkstall Brewery, Leeds Brewery and Holt’s most recent acquisition, North.
Steve Holt, owner and founder of Kirkstall Brewery, said: “It’s a tremendous privilege to bring Leeds’s most iconic brewery building into the Kirkstall fold.
“As a brewery that pays a great deal of respect to the history of brewing in the city, we believe we are the ideal custodians for the next chapter of this legendary building.”
Michael Cronin, Head of Portfolio at Vastint UK, the developer behind Aire Park and owners of The Tetley building, said: “Last year we outlined our ambitions to safeguard this iconic building for the next 100 years and have now submitted our plans to the council. Since we became custodians of the building, it was always our intention to keep it open until the restoration work got underway to bring this fantastic building up to 21st century standards.
"So, we’re thrilled to be welcoming Kirkstall Brewery to Aire Park and to be bringing one of the current generations of Leeds and Yorkshire breweries to a site which has played such a pivotal role in the history of beer making in the region.
“The Tetley will form the centre piece of Aire Park, alongside the eight-acre public park and this collaboration will hopefully give the people of Leeds a small taster of what’s to come in the very near future.”
Holt added: “It really is the crown jewel of brewing history in Leeds, and we are deeply grateful for the opportunity to make it a landmark of Yorkshire beer culture once again.”
It's hoped the building will reopen in May - under the management of the new owners of the lease.